The Power of Taking Imperfect Action
If you are a person who drops your own self-care to the bottom of your to-do list when someone around you has needs, requires attention, or things get super busy or stressful, you are definitely not alone.
It’s time to set some clear boundaries because your health, well-being, and your goals and dreams are worthy of your attention!
I spent far too much of my life in this pattern. Looking back I didn’t realize how much I was sacrificing my own health. Most importantly, I didn’t understand how much setting proper boundaries and priorities that matched my goals would benefit my health and well-being.
When I would try to pursue a new goal, I always felt like I was starting over, or waiting to get started, or convincing myself there were things that needed to happen before I could actually get started on my goals whether it was next week, next month, or next year.
Every time I tried to get started something managed to sidetrack me.
Does that sound familiar? It happens to the best of us.
Today’s post about motivation has to do with taking a look at PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY and ACCOUNTABILITY to yourself! And also the power of taking IMPERFECT ACTION.
Maybe it’s your family, your job, or you have some food in your fridge that you don’t want to go to waste, so you’ll wait till it’s gone before you get back “on-track”.
Or maybe you feel your career and personal responsibilities are just too much and there’s just no more time or energy for anything else!
I get it, we have all been there before. But on a more serious note, we need to stop making this a habit.
You were put on this earth for a reason, and your needs and goals are just as valid as everyone else’s. It’s time to start paying attention to them. In fact, if you have a little voice in your head urging you to work out or make healthier choices, you are doing yourself a major disservice if you keep ignoring it.
The fact of life is that unless you TAKE ACTION and then KEEP TAKING ACTION, you will NEVER accomplish your goal. This applies to everyone, even myself!
When I was just starting my fitness journey, my idea of fitness and what it was going to take to reach my goals was completely skewed. I felt I was doing enough by doing short, random, workouts at home 1-2 times a week. I would also occasionally hit a group workout class around the city, or go on an extra-long walk with my dog.
While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with those types of workouts, the problem was that they weren't right for my goals, and even with that light workout “schedule”, I was severely inconsistent.
I finally bought a gym membership, went a few times, and (though I’m VERY ashamed to admit this) went almost an ENTIRE YEAR without going once.
My lifestyle has completely changed now. I work out 4+ times a week, I have a clear and specific nutrition and fitness program to follow, I set healthy boundaries and priorities around fitness, and I know that every decision I make is meant to take me closer to my goals. Also, I have goals! Something I definitely lacked clearly before.
So how did I go from that person to my life now? One secret I can let you in on is that it actually has very little to do with motivation.
See I have personal goals, and I care very deeply about them, and yes, sometimes simply thinking of those goals is enough to get my ass off the couch and into the gym when I don’t feel like it.
But the biggest factor that has contributed to my success, isn’t motivation. It’s personal responsibility and accountability. I am now a person who is accountable to myself to follow my plan, whether I feel like it or not, and when life gets in the way, I remember my priorities and find a way to take action, even if it’s imperfect.
It’s that consistency and dedication that contributes to the success of any goal. Those who fail in reaching their goals might fail because they’re not motivated enough, but they will definitely fail if they aren’t consistent in showing up.
Now, taking action doesn’t require anything fancier than deciding that starting RIGHT NOW, you will make time for healthier eating and workouts, or whatever changes you want to make, and then actually doing it.
And then be consistent. Make it a non-negotiable. Even over the holiday season. Even when your schedule gets busy.
It’s about taking perfectly imperfect action, every single day.
It’s about deciding to honor your health, well-being, and goals, every single day.
It’s making healthier choices that align with your goals and adapting them as you progress.
Over time, you will build momentum that will carry you forward. But in the beginning – or when things get busy or stressful – it will require decisive action.
And some days, it will mean improvising and just doing the best you can, given the circumstances. And yes, sometimes it will seem extra challenging. But it will definitely pay off.
You will feel energized, happier, lighter, and stronger. And that will benefit everyone around you, which makes it a win-win, right?
Again, it’s not about perfection, it’s about taking action, and being consistent in that action.
There are plenty of ways to start taking imperfect action toward your goals. But there are 3 things that can help make your life MUCH easier right off the bat. These are the same 3 things that helped me turn my life around and finally be consistent in working towards my goals.
1. You need to clearly define your goal.
Simply saying “I want to eat healthy” or “I want to workout more” isn’t enough. What does eating healthy look like for you? How many days a week do you need to workout to reach your goal? These are the types of specifics that make it super clear what you need to do when obstacles get in the way or you feel like you’re not making progress.